The Betrayal
by Miniangelash
Summary: Lina awakens to find she's been tortured...but she can't remember how or who did it! Who can she trust?
1. The Awakening

Author's note: This happens to be my first official fic on here, so hang in there with me. I have more chapters, it's just a matter of typing them up. So, please R&R, I think I'll need all the help I can get. ^_^ And I'm not gettin paid for this and Slayers doesn't belong to me...etc...ya'll all know the drill. Also, extremely sorry for this formatting error. This is as good as it's gonna get. Sorry! -italics cause I can't get em to work. So plz hang in there!  
  
The Betrayal  
  
Something terrible had happened. As Lina slowly regained consciousness, she struggled to remember exactly what had happened. She heard voices, but they sounded far away and indistinct. She recognized Gourry's voice, but the other voice belonged to a stranger.  
  
"How long will it take for her to recover?" Gourry asked. Lina tried to say that she was fine, but she couldn't seem to get the words past her throat. The stranger hesitated.  
  
"Well, most of her body will heal quickly if she stays in bed. Her mind is another matter..." The voices faded away as Lina slipped back into the comforts of unconsciousness.  
  
When Lina woke the next time, she was able to open her eyes. The sight she beheld made her chuckle. Or at least it was meant to be a chuckle, but it came out as a hacking cough. Gourry was stretched out at the foot of her bed, his long blonde hair covering his form making him look like a huge yellow hound warming her feet and guarding her during sleep. Gourry bounced off the bed and had his sword in hadnd before he realized the sound was Lina coughing.  
  
"Lina! You're awake!" Gourry rushed over and carefully gathered her close. "I was so worried!" Lina was still coughing, but Gourry didn't seem to notice. As soon as she could take a breath without coughing, Lina weakly demanded for Gourry to let her go. When Gourry laid her gently on the bed, she stared in shock at the front of his shirt. The dark blood stains stood out against the light blue background. Gourry looked down and saw what had shocked her.   
  
Lina struggled to form the words for her question and finally managed, "What's wrong with you?" Gourry had an uncomprehending look on his face, as usual.  
  
"What's wrong with me?" Gourry parroted. At Lina's weak nod, Gourry looked confused. "Nothings wrong with me." When Lina gestured to his shirt, a light bulb flashed over Gourry's head. "Oh, you mean the blood stains." Gourry touched his fingertips to one and held out his fingers, which were covered in blood. "This is fresh blood, from your cough Lina." Lina couldn't hold in her surprise at this.  
  
"Ah, that's why it's hard to talk. Probably a punctured lung from one of my broken ribs. What?!" Lina's thoughts flashed as she closed her eyes and began to assess what all was wrong with her body. She had three broken ribs, one of which had indeed punctured a lung. Her nose had been broken, but someone had already set it back. She had a terrible headache, and found she had sustained numerous head injuries. Her fingers had all been broken which made her open her eyes in shock. Any one who cast spells knew that the fingers were the most important part of a magic users body. "I must have been tortured!" As Gourry sat watching her, he wondered if she was remembering anything yet.  
  
"Lina?" Gourry asked. She was furiously checking the rest of her body, fingers-broken (*sob*), wrist-one light sprain, arms-good to go, ribs-already checked, legs-one broken, ankles-one heavy sprain, toes-all broken. As Lina began to check for internal damages, Gourry touched her lightly and she visibly flinched. "Lina? Are you remembering yet?" Gourry's face was filled with concern.  
  
She shook her head. "What happened to me?" Lina tried to stiffle her sobs, but it still triggered her coughing again. Gourry held an already bloody hankie to her mouth. When her coughs susbsided, Gourry carefully took her mangled hands in his and looker her straight in the eyes.  
  
"What I am about to tell you has already happened. You can't go back into the past and change it. You can only concentrate on getting better. Lina," Gourry hesitated, "you were found on the side of a country road last week. Your injuries were much worse then, but you managed to say one word before you..." Gourry trailed off. Lina's eyes pleaded for him to continue. "You died Lina. And the word you said was, 'Xellos'." Lina waited for him to say "Gotcha!" or "Just kidding!" She shook her head and snorted.   
  
"There's no way I died. And Xellos did not torture me!" Lina's thoughts were as disbelieving as her expression. Lina continued to shake her head as she checked her body again. She hadn't checked her internal injuries, and fainted at what she found. 


	2. Beginning to Remember

Author's Note: (Insert standard disclaimer here) Anyways, this is Lina's dream/flashback here. It's quite short I know, but I didn't want to give all the secrets away at the beginning. ^_^  
  
Lina was sitting in an inn fighting Gourry over food as usual when Xellos had appeared right beside her and whispered something in her ear before disappearing again. He had been so quick that Gourry didn't even know he'd been there at all.  
  
"Gourry, I've got to go check something out real quick. I'll see ya later!" Lina said as she stalked off. Gourry just shrugged and continued eating, happy because he didn't have to fight for every bite now.  
  
Lina cast Leviation as soon as she was out of the inn. She flew quickly to the hot springs where Xellos asked her to meet him. "I can't believe he actually called me Dragon Spooker!" Lina ground her teeth as she waited. She had been there for a little while when her stomach started gurgling. "I should have waited until after dinner!" She decided then that if Xellos wasn't even going to be there then she might as well leave and go eat and he could find her. She closed her eyes and began to cast Levitation again, but something had knocked her out before she'd completed it. 


	3. Revenge?

Author's note: Slayers-not mine. Profits-zilch! Anyways, we're back to real life again. Enjoy! And don't yell at me too bad. I feel like bending the rules a little. Things are gonna happen my way, and maybe not the true Slayers way...so plz forgive me. I think you'll enjoy it in the end tho!  
  
"Lina, are you awake?" Gourry whispered. Lina promptly wished for something to throw at his head.  
  
"Yes, now that you ask!" she hissed back.  
  
"How are you feeling?" Gourry asked as he bent over her.  
  
"I feel like I've died and am finally being punished for all my bad deeds." Gourry winced at her words. "Shit, Gourry, I'm sorry. I didn't remember..." Lina paused before asking, "Exactly how am I alive now?" She watched Gourry's face as he answered.  
  
"Lina, you probably realize you have no heartbeat. Xellos turned you into a Mazoku..." Gourry was completely uncomfortable. "You don't remember yet, do you?"  
  
Lina shook her head and began to contemplate. Her injuries were much improved from yesterday. She supposed being conscious had an effect on how fast Mazokus regenerated. "Wait a minute Gourry! You said that before I died I was found. So then-"  
  
"Xellos decided to bring you back as a Mazoku becuase you said his name. I don't think he'd originally intended to bring you back. But I guess he thought it was revenge or something."  
  
"Revenge," Lina thought. "I'm going to give him a taste of my revenge!"  
  
"Well, shouldn't you get your rest now and regain your strength?" Gourry hesitantly asked as he walked to the door.  
  
Lina chuckled because he looked scared that she would take out her anger on him. "And why shouldn't he be scared? He's right. I would take it out on him...if I could cast spells..." Lina's smile faded and she sighed. "I might as well...maybe I'll remember something else. I feel like there's something important that I have to remember." Gourry nodded and gave her a small smile before leaving the room.  
  
"It's probably the first time he's left my room," thought Lina. "And he hasn't freaked out about me being a Mazoku...at least not yet. Now I understand why Zel is so fixed on getting back to normal." Lina tried to picture herself as Gourry must see her, with the obvious Mazoku eyes. "I'm going to get him back for this!" Lina was awake plotting for a long time before finally succumbing to sleep. 


	4. Blessed with a Visitor

Author's note: I don't own Slayers *sob* but I wish I did. And sadly, I'm not making any money from this pathetic little story. But, I do get some satisfaction and respite from the voices in my head with each completed chapter ^_^   
  
Lina's dreams that night gave her no answers. She awoke the next morning feeling restless because of being confined to her bed and the fact that many of her injuries were much improved. Her head still ached from time to time, and she still couldn't use her fingers in a spell, but the rest of her injuries were almost nonexistant. Her wrist and ankle sprains were both gone, her broken leg was almost healed, along with her broken toes. Her ribs were still a problem, but the punctured lung had been fixed. Lina was wondering how she was going to keep busy so as not to go insane when she heard a familiar voice down the corridor. Lina grinnned as she thought of ways to provoke her soon-to-be-visitor. "Wait," Lina thought to herself, "that must be the new Mazoku part of me trying to come out." Lina shuddered and supressed the urge to hurt one of her friends.  
  
"Hi Lina! How are you feeling?" Lina smiled at Zelgadis as he entered. Something nagged her at the back of her mind, but she ignored it. Zelgadis was followed quickly by Gourry. Lina thought to herself, "That's why he hasn't jumped at the sight of my Mazoku eyes. Gourry must have warned him."  
  
"So Zel, how have you been? What have you been up to?" Lina asked as he sat in a chair next to her bed. Gourry took his usual spot, at the foot of her bed. "Usual spot?" Lina questioned her unconscious mind. She had gotten used to Gourry as her faithful and fierce protector. She didn't have time to analyze herself because Zel was already talking to her.  
  
"I was following some rumors about a cure for my body. They wound up leading me here with only a bottle of lotion to show for my trouble. Somehow the rumors about this particular lotion got exaggerated into it becoming a cure for any skin disorder. I tried it and all it did was make me have a rash. I happened to see Gourry the other day at an inn wondering where you had gone. So we both went out to search for you..." Zelgadis looked uncomfortable.  
  
"When was the last time you saw Xellos?" Lina asked bluntly.  
  
Zel shifted in his seat. "I don't remember, it must have been awhile. I try to forget the times he's been around."  
  
Lina nodded and paused while thinking. "Where was I found?"  
  
"Uhm...just on the side of a coutry road. Nothing much around it. A little old woman lived not too far away, and the hot springs were close..." Zel seemed to be trying to remember anything else.  
  
"Well Zel, it's been great seeing you again. I'd love it if you'd drop by again soon. I just don't feel well all the sudden." Zel had a concerned look on his face.  
  
"Lina?" But she was already asleep. 


	5. Second Flashback

Author's note: Standard disclaimer's apply. ...and the plot thickens! This is another one of Lina's dreams...short again. Also it's meant to be choppy, dreams are usually jumpy.  
Lina remembered being dragged by someone, and the excruciating pain as each of her fingers were broken. A harsh laugh, distorted by water as she was repeatedly dunked. The rush of air as she was thrown. The cracking of her ribs as she struck the tree, and the snapping of her leg as she landed on it. The sprain of the wrist as she tried to lift herself up even as she landed. So much pain. The fleeting glimpse of her attacker. "Focus Lina! See who it is! Take control!" Lina concentrated on slowing the images. Still all she could make out of her attacker was a vague outline. Her mind wouldn't allow her to remember. The frustration made Lina lose her focus as the dream sped back up again. The utter disgust as hands reached out from the darkness to touch and grope her body. She had fought, oh how she had fought. But her strength was oozing away. Her fingers were broken so she couldn't cast, couldn't even properly punch. But then all the pain seemed to stop. The feeling of being carried gently in strong arms. Words had been said. "Words, what were the words! Whose voice?" The more she gought to remember, the more it eluded her. The feeling of security vanished along with the strong arms. The vision of a stranger's face. Then one word. "Xellos." She gave up after that. She let go and started drifting. But someone called her back. "No, let me die!" Lina screamed. The feeling of being reborn, screaming like a newborn child. There was something she had to do. Something she had to remember... 


	6. Almost Recovered

Author's note: *dances around disclaiming Slayers* Nope, not mine! So I'll just whine....erm...*ahem* I hope you're enjoying reading this, I enjoy writing it. Oh, and in reply to my reviews so far- My comp doesn't work well with html, everytime I save it like that, it changes all the letters to symbols. I really wish I could get it to work, (believe me I've tried everything everyone's suggested), but I guess this'll have to do. :( And I'll keep adjectives in mind after I post 6 and 7, they're goin in together. I'm just glad that at least one person is enjoying this. Oh well, I enjoy writing so nyah ^_^ As to why Xellos would want to torture poor Lina, you'll see soon, if ya can hang with me for a few more chapters, then you'll see. I promise! But for now it's a secret :)  
  
Lina struggled and kicked against the thing holding her feet. Well, until the thing groaned and rolled off the end of her bed. "Oh Gourry, I'm sorry. I was dreaming..." Lina began to wonder if it really was a memory or just a dream.  
  
"Ughhhh..that's not a good way to wake up." Gourry groaned as he sat back down on the bed. "So, are you fully healed yet?" Gourry asked as he rubbed his back.  
  
Lina experimentally tried to wiggle her fingers. She grinned as three of her fingers bent with ease. "My fingers are coming along smoothly." She took a deep breath and let it out. "No more chest pains either. I'm almost fully recovered!" Lina hopped up and gave Gourry a squeeze. She saw Zelgadis in the doorway, hesitating before coming in. Gourry went over and slapped him on the back, which pushed him into the room.  
  
"Hi Zel! Look, I'm feeling much better today!" Lina ran over and gave Zel a small hug. Zel looked a little embarrassed as he sat down.  
  
"Looks like you're all better now," he said while contemplating.  
  
"No, some of her fingers are still broken, isn't that right Lina?" Gourry said while patting Zel on the back.  
  
"I'll be back to normal by tomorrow," Lina quickly assured them. "Then I can go confront Xellos. He seems to be the one I should thank for me being a Mazoku." Lina didn't even try to mask her bitterness.  
  
"When do you think you'll be ready to go after him?" Zel asked.  
  
"I'd like to start looking for him today," Lina said, daring Gourry to protest.  
  
Zel hesitated before laying a hand on her shoulder saying, "You know you can count on me to help."   
  
Lina closed her eyes and nodded. The nagging at the back of her brain was making her head ache.  
  
"Lina?" Gourry asked. He helped her back to the bed.  
  
"These damn headaches. They never seem to go away." Lina sighed and tried to think.  
  
"Maybe you should get some more rest?" Zel volunteered.  
  
"I don't want to rest anymore! I'm tired of resting! I want to do something!" Lina protested as forcefully as she could.  
  
"No, Lina, I think he's right. You should rest until your head stops hurting at least. You won't be able to think straight enough to make a proper plan unless you rest now." Gourry gently forced her back on the bed. The pain in Lina's head had gotten worse, so she complied.  
  
"Maybe I'll rest for just a little while." Lina closed her eyes, planning to just sit quietly for awhile. Before she knew it, she was being swept away by another dream...  
  
"Let's leave her alone for a bit, I think she needs the silence," Zel whispered to Gourry.  
  
"If you think it'll be okay..." Gourry followed Zel out the door. 


	7. Midnight Conferences

Author's note: Slayer's is not mine, and there's nothing *sob* that will change that...*sniffle* Oh well, on with the fic!   
  
As Lina slept, two figures down the hall argued quietly.  
  
"I saw we get her now, before she's fully recovered," the slightly shorter one was saying. "She can't put up much of a fight without her magic." The taller person shook their head."We have to leave her alone for awhile, otherwise her bodyguard will attack if we try to get her. You remember what happened last time. Just when things started to get fun he had to go and ruin it."  
  
The slightly shorter one nodded. "What worries me is that we weren't killed. What kind of bodyguard doesn't go back and kill the attacker?" The taller one just shrugged and considered it just good luck. "We can't let the chance go. We have to get her while she's down or not at all." The tall one just shrugged again and followed as the other lead the way to Lina's room. He didn't care as long as he got to play with that petite body again. He remembered the feel of her firm curves and couldn't wait to finally stake his claim on the famous Lina Inverse.  
  
-----------Switching view point---------  
  
Lina struggled again in her dream. The groping hands were back, but this time they were trying to smother her. Lina's eyes shot open as she realized she wasn't dreaming. Someone had their hand over her mouth. She felt their warm breath on her face. Her eyes couldn't make out who it was...until they opened their eyes. Lina gasped as she saw eyes exactly like hers...Mazoku eyes. "Xellos!" her mind screamed in rage. Xellos gave her a small smile before he teleported her to the hot springs. He let her go then and stepped back.  
  
"Gee, this brings back memories," Lina muttered as she looked around.  
  
"Does it?" Xellos asked as he watched her closely. She was trying to flex her fingers, but still couldn't get two to work.  
  
"I seem to rememeber being attacked here." Lina stared back at Xellos, watching his face for emotions.  
  
"You don't remember it all yet, do you?" Xellos's face flashed a strong emotion before going blank again.  
  
"What else should I remember? Would you be pleased to know I remember your hands mauling me? Or how about when I hit the tree? I can still hear the sound of my ribs cracking. Is that what I'm supposed to remember?" Lina watched as Xellos flinched at her words.  
  
"Lina-" Xellos looked away, not wanting her to see his expression.  
  
"Xellos, don't try to pretend you have a conscience now. I know you too well." Xellos turned back to her at that, his face carefully blank.  
  
"Do you really know me Lina?" Lina smirked at his question and was about to reply when he held up a hand. "If you really knew me, then you wouldn't need to remember to know the truth." Xellos walked over to her and stared deeply into her eyes. "Do you really think I would do that?" Lina shifted her weight from one foot to the other. Doubts filled her mind.  
  
"If it wasn't you, then who was it?" Lina tried to sound sarcastic, but it came out sounding strained. Xellos's face revealed nothing of what he was thinking.  
  
"The answers are there, hiding in your mind. If I were to tell you, you wouldn't believe me." He retreated to the side of the hot springs.  
  
"What makes you so sure I wouldn't believe you?" Lina demanded. Xellos looked up and grinned.  
  
"I know you well enough to know that." Lina sat down a few feet from him and stared at her reflection on the water. It shocked her to see her eyes, but she quickly put that thought aside.  
  
"He's right and we both know it," she thought. "What if he didn't do it? That would explain why he hasn't killed me yet. But why am I here then, if not to be killed?" Lina's mind zipped off in every direction.  
  
"I don't think you'll be able to figure it out without remembering." Xellos sighed. "I wish I didn't have to do this. Forgive me Lina." Xellos walked over and touched her forehead. She was out before he moved his finger. 


	8. The Truth Comes Out

Author's note: No profit, Slayer's not mine. Anyways, things are starting to fall into place now. ^_^ Well, some things... (Lina's dreaming again) I don't know if they had hammocks, but Xellos has one. He just seems like a hammock person to me. *shrug* And I tried to put more detail in here too. I am a slave to my readers (who politely offer suggestions of which I do pay attn to!) I write and write and write...and rewrite. ^_^ But I enjoy it. Anyways, on to the fic!  
  
Lina was remembering the feeling of strong arms taking her away from the pain. This time she looked up, and instead of a vague outline, she saw her savior's face. "Xellos!" Lina's mind seemed to freeze in shock. He had looked down at her and said, "It'll be alright now." For a minute his face had shown Lina all his emotions. Rage, concern, and regret. They were all easily explained emotions (so I guess I'll tell ya truthfully hehe!). Rage at who had done this to Lina, concern for Lina's welfare, and regret at not getting there sooner. Then the moment passed as quickly as it had come. Then he had teleported her to a place she'd never seen before. The walls, ceiling, and floor were all smooth stone that shone almost like glass. Xellos had a permanent lightspell on this room that cast a faint glow on their surroundings. There was a hammock in a corner that was attached to two pegs on two walls. But what shocked Lina was the collection (of stuffed animals! J/k) of spell books. Ceiling to floor shelves, which the ceiling was high enough that Xellos obviously had to Levitate to get to, lined three of the walls. At one time the shelves were probably jammed full in a nice, organized way. Now the books slanted to the right and left from removed books that had yet to be replaced. Lina wondered where all those books had gone when she noticed the large dest along the fourth wall. The dest was made out of some deep brown colored wood. It was piled high with books in different states of disarray. Some were open to a particular page, others were closed but with little tabs poking out to mark pages. There were even books scattered under the hammock.  
  
"Xellos, what is this place?" Lina asked as he laid her gently in the hammock. In the back of her mind her usual self was jumping with glee at the prospect of getting to look at all those wonderful spellbooks. She looked around again and quickly asked, "And how did you find this place? I don't see a door."   
  
Xellos pulled a comfortable looking wooden chair from the desk over to the hammock and sat down. "This is where I go to relax, and the other is a long story. We don't have time to talk I'm afraid. Your injuries are quite serious. So, what do we do now?"  
  
"We?" Lina asked and raised an eyebrow.  
  
"You don't seriously think I'm going to sit this out, do you?" Xellos asked incredulously.  
  
"You must promise me," Lina paused as she cleared her throat, "you won't interfere in any way. I want to take them down by myself." Xellos began to protest but stopped when Lina began to cough violently. When she stopped coughing, Xellos said she was going to a doctor.  
  
"No, Xellos, if you take me in like this, they'll assume you did it to me."  
  
Xellos looked at her and smiled sadly. "Because I'm a Mazoku." Lina nodded and gave him a sad smile back. Xellos sighed and picked her up, carefully cradling her against his chest. "Where to?" Xellos asked, his warm breath fanning out across Lina's face.  
  
Lina sighed contentedly, then cursed as her ribs gave her a sharp and intense pain. Gritting her teeth Lina answered, "Wherever they won't find me first." Xellos teleported them to the side of a dirt road. To one side of the road was a forest and the other side had a little house in the distance.  
  
"A villager is going to be along in just a second," Xellos said as he gently laid her on the side of the road.  
  
"Xellos, promise me," Lina whispered. She was getting weaker with every passing second and her head was beginning to throb.  
  
"I promise not to interfere, unless you need me," Xellos said and sighed. "Take care, Lina," he whispered as he lightly kissed her forehead and reluctantly teleported away.  
  
A young man was just coming around the corner. When he saw someone laying on the side of the road, he ran over quickly. "Miss, are you alright?" The stranger said as he leaned over her. (Of course she's not alright! *slaps the village idiot*...wow pun!) Lina's eyes barely focused on the young man's face.  
  
Through all the pain in her head, one clear thought emerged. Xellos was the one who saved her. So she quietly whispered his name one last time, and then she died. 


	9. It's a secret!

Author's note: Disclaim, no $. K, that outta the way, here you are. Things were getting a little too serious, so I lightened it up some in this chaper. ^_^ Enjoy!!  
  
Gourry and Zelgadis stared in shock at the empty room. "Lina?" Gourry said as he looked under the bed. Zelgadis put a hand on one of his shoulders to stop him from being...well, Gourry.  
  
"This is bad. I think that he's got her. We've got to find her." Zelgadis headed determinedly for the door.  
  
"Wait Zel. What if he doesn't have her?" Zelgadis turned back to him sharply, for Gourry had not only made an important observation, he'd also said the thing that was bothering Zelgadis the most.  
  
In a steely voice Zelgadis answered, "We must hope that it hasn't come to that yet." Gourry nodded and they both hurried out of the room. Neither of them noticed the two men who were heading towards the room they had just exited: Lina's room.  
  
------Switching People------  
  
Lina woke up disoriented. She was swaying back and forth and couldn't shake her head enough to make it stop. In fact, the moment she shook her head, the more she swayed. "Damn headaches finally leave me and now I'm swaying?" Lina didn't mean to curse aloud. She bolted upright when she heard a chuckle. "Umph!" Lina's bolting upright had upset her balance and she had tumbled out of the hammock. The chuckles had become full blown laughs as Lina picked herself up off the floor. She was back in Xellos's room again. Xellos was sitting in his chair laughing so hard he was doubled over. Lina's temper went out of control. (Alright here comes the real Lina we all know and love!) She hadn't had a decent meal in who knew how long, which now that she was a Mazoku she didn't even really have to eat anymore (I think) which totally made it seem pointless, which of course mad her madder. Not to mention the fact that he'd put her to sleep without her permission, and she couldn't forget that he'd turned her into a Mazoku without her permission, which made eating not half as fun! Lina clenched and unclenched her fists unconsciously. She smiled evilly as all ten of her fingers bent with ease. Xellos, oblivious to Lina's anger and full recovery, was still holding his stomach and trying not to think of the way Lina had looked when she'd fell flat on her face out of the hammock.   
  
"Fireball!" Lina yelled and laughed like a maniac. Luckily she'd remembered it was a small room and hadn't tried to Dragon Slave him! A crispy Xellos with smoke circling around him finally stopped laughing. Xellos figured it was time to get serious.  
  
"Now Lina, I hope you feel better," Xellos said as he cleaned himself off. Lina nodded and smiled, feeling some satisfaction.  
  
"Why did you turn me into a Mazoku?" Lina asked seriously.  
  
Xellos sighed and hopped into the hammock. "Well, you had already died. I figured that was reason enough to interfere. So I did what I saw as the best action. I made you a Mazoku."  
  
Lina sat down in his chair. "Hey, this really is comfortable," she thought. "Anyway, he's keeping something from me. But what?" Lina demanded to know by asking him why else he made her into a Mazoku.  
  
Xellos smiled and stated in his infuriating way, "It's a secret!" Lina sighed because she didn't feel like playing games like that, but she knew Xellos wouldn't tell her anything until he was ready to.  
  
"Then tell me who the bad guys are! I'm itching to give them a taste of my Dragon Slave." Lina studied Xellos under her eye lashes. He seemed to be debating within himself. "What's there to debate," thought Lina, "just tell me and it'll be over." Obviously it was more complicated than that. "Come on, Xellos! You're supposed to be helping me out here!"  
  
Xellos looked over at Lina, and at that moment, he'd let his guard down. His eyes held such pain that Lina gasped. "I don't want to hurt you Lina. I don't want to be the one to tell you, but I think you should know. The men who hurt you, will not stop until they kill you Lina. It might be a sword in the back, it might be poison in your drink, to them it doesn't matter if they kill you the coward's way or not. They are men you know, but you don't know. The men who hurt you were..."  
  
  
(A/N: Next chapter, I swear!! Mwahaha!) 


	10. To trust or not to trust?

Author's Note: Congrats to all who guessed correctly! I knew that line would give it away but I wanted to hint there so...oh well. But I don't want you thinking that this is all, there's still more twists to it. hehe! Anyways, I don't own Slayers, and don't recieve any money from this. Enjoy all! Btw, Xellos may not be acting exactly like Xellos in your opinions, but I'm one of those fic writers that things that fan fiction is about what we want to happen, not what happened in the series. So, I took the liberty to make him soften up and more open about things. So sue me. Like I have any money lol! :) ...man this chapter is alot longer than I thought ^_^ Sorry it took so long, had to kick my parents off the computer...eh...harder than it sounds lol!   
  
"The men who hurt you were," Xellos paused dramatically (as did the evil little fic writer Mwahaha!), "Zelgadis and Gourry." Lina knew that if she wasn't already sitting in Xellos's chair then she would have dropped like a rock.  
  
"No, you're lying!" Lina shook her head in disbelief. "They wouldn't do such a thing. They would have no reason to do that to me." Her temper began to flare as she thought, "How dare he accuse my friends of this!"  
  
Xellos slowly rose and walked over to Lina. He realized he'd have to be plain and straightforward to escape from being burnt to a crisp again. "I don't know why they did it, and I wouldn't have believed it myself either. All I know is that they did do it. I know because I saw them Lina. I saw Zelgadis throw you against the tree and I saw how Gourry touched you! It took all of my will power to not kill them on the spot. I had to get you out of there, where they couldn't hurt you anymore." Xellos was pacing as he said this. Lina took a deep breath and forced herself to remain calm and think about what mattered, Xellos could be just trying to distract her. Lina stared at the floor, because watching Xellos pace was too distracting.  
  
Lina's brow puckered as she remembered something that didn't fit. "How did they know I was going to the hot springs in the first place?" Lina asked. Xellos stopped pacing and thought for a moment. He'd been reliving that nightmarish scene in his mind and had to clamp down on his emotions to be able to think.  
  
"My guess is that they followed you," Xellos said after a small pause. Lina agreed to herself that it was probable. She knew Gourry couldn't have done it without Zel to cast Levitation though. She still remained very skeptical about Zel and Gourry doing those things. Slowly she began to remember other small things. "Why were you late?" Lina watched Xellos closely, trying to catch any emotions that would betray him if he lied. He sighed and his shoulders slumped.  
  
"To tell the truth, I was getting up my nerve to see you. I had planned everything out that I wanted to say, I had even told you where to meet me, and then I found I was totally unprepared for whatever you might say to me. So I was here actually," Xellos had rushed through it all nervously until the last sentence. Lina was trying to figure out exactly what Xellos had been going to say to her when she forced herself to put it in the back of her mind. Lina thought to herself, "Focus Lina! This is a dangerous game everyone's playing. Everything depends on how you act from here on out. Don't let feelings in the way right now."  
  
She began to go back over people's actions since she'd first woke up after the attack. Gourry was always pestering her about how much she'd remembered, which went along with Xellos's story. "But he also could have just been concerned," Lina argued in her mind. Gourry was with her almost all the time, which also went along with what Xellos had said. "But Gourry's always been protective of me," Lina grinned a little at this thought. Then she remembered that Gourry and Zelgadis had both become extremely uncomfortable at the mention of Xellos's name. "Everytime Zelgadis came around, my head did start to hurt, trying to make me remember..." Lina grin faded as she slowly started to consider the fact they they could have done it.  
  
"There's one thing that doesn't fit though, Xellos," Lina said. Xellos looked over at her with an eyebrow raised. "If Gourry and Zelgadis wanted to kill me, they had plenty of opportunities to do it earlier!" Xellos reached up and scratched his head.  
  
"I must admit, that's one thing I don't understand either. They must have had a very important reason though. I think that's something that they'll have to tell us." Lina stood up when she heard this.  
  
"I'm not going to accuse my friends of anything until I know for sure. Besides, I'm still not sure I trust you." Xellos stepped back from where Lina was standing as if she had struck him. Then he sighed and went back to the hammock.  
  
"I had hoped... I understand why you don't," Xellos said. He paused before asking, "Is there anything else you wish to discuss?" Lina started to shake her head, but remembered something else.  
  
"After you left me, how did you get me back? And then back to people again after you'd turned me into a Mazoku?" Xellos smiled at her persistance. She knew he didn't want to talk about the other reasons why he'd brought her back as a Mazoku, so she'd demanded to know everything else about it. "I don't blame her," Xellos thought, "she's got a right to know. Besides, she's caught me in an open mood and is using it to the fullest it seems."  
  
"The villager took you to town, even though you were dead. They put you in that room where you stayed during your recovery. They were going to keep you there until they found your relatives or friends to take care of your burial. I teleported there, brought you back as a Mazoku, and teleported out. They heard your scream and came running, but I was gone before they reached your room. I knew they'd take care of you. Besides, I kept an eye out for you at all times." Xellos laid back in the hammock and relaxed.  
  
"Why did you make me a Mazoku?" Lina whispered her question. Xellos looked up and saw the raw pain in her eyes that was quickly masked with her anger.  
  
"Lina," Xellos hesitated, "I promise to tell you, but only after everything is over. Okay?" Lina realized that knowing eventually was better than not at all.  
  
"Alright. But the minute this is cleared up, you have alot more explaining to do!" Xellos chuckled and agreed with her.  
  
"Well, Lina, come on over and get some sleep." Xellos patted the edge of the swaying hammock. Lina immediately bristled. "You didn't think I'd let you leave here before you're ready to confront Zelgadis and Gourry, did you? And I'm not about to leave you alone in my place."   
  
Lina stood up stiffly and moved the chair back to the desk. She didn't look at Xellos, but he knew she was mentally staring daggers his way. Then she took off her cloak, bundled it up and put it neatly on the floor. She went to the chair and took Xellos's cloak off the back. He'd taken it off earlier and draped in on the chair when she was sleeping before. She removed her boots and put them under the desk and walked back to where she'd put her bundled cloak on the floor. She laid down, using her cloak as a pillow and Xellos's cloak as a blanket. She'd kept her gloves on because she always felt naked without them.  
  
"This is ridiculous, Lina! You'll never go to sleep on the floor!" He got out of the hammock and picked her up. She kicked and punched and protested that she'd slept on the floor countless times. He deposited her into the hammock. Seeing that she was about to fall flat on her face again because of her struggling, Xellos said to her, "I'm not going to sleep with you Lina. You'll have the hammock to yourself. And I won't tolerate you sleeping on the floor when there's a perfectly good hammock right there." He went and picked up the cloaks off the floor. He laughed when he turned back around. She had indeed fallen flat on her face again. He quickly smothered his laugh when she glared at him. "This time she might acutally aim for my books!" Xellos thought and tried to control his smile. Lina picked herself up with all the dignity she could muster and hopped back into the hammock.   
  
She peeked out at Xellos through the holes and he felt his heart speed up. "She looks so sexy like that," Xellos thought. Her hair was all mussed from her tumble and her cheeks were pink from embarrassment. The glow from the lightspell brought out highlights in her feiry red hair. "She always looks so vulnerable without her cloak on," Xellos thought with a small smile, wondering if he too looked vulnerable without his on. Xellos walked over to the hammock and stood looking down at her. Lina was a little frightened by the strong emotion in Xellos's eyes, but she boldly held his gaze. He brought up both the cloaks and laid them over her. Then he reluctantly turned away, walked over and sat in the chair at his desk and didn't look at Lina again.  
  
Lina was trying to analyze what exactly had just happened between them. All she knew was that her heart was beating awfully fast and with every breath, Xellos's scent intoxicated her from his cloak. Lina reminded herself that he had just accused her friends of those horrible things. Somehow, she was actually beginning to believe him. She debated it in her head all night until she finally drifted off to sleep. 


	11. Realization of Changes

Author's Note: Slayers not mine, no money from story. Anyways, Thank you everyone who has been reviewing! You keep me going. I think that the story gets better as you go along, or is that just me? Anyways, this chapter has some suggested sexual stuff, but nothing is detailed, or even described really. I decided that it would be better that way cause you'll see. So, I just wanted to say that in case anyone got offended (why would they get offended? I have no idea. But better safe than sorry) Anyways, enjoy!  
  
"Where the hell did she go?" Gourry asked for the millionth time. Zelgadis just sighed and kept walking. They had searched the town and surrounding woods twice already, asking people if they'd seen Lina. They knew where Lina's usual places were, and she wasn't in any of them. They had visited every place in town that sold food, just in case, which now that she was a Mazoku she probably hated Xellos for the fact that she didn't have to eat anymore. Zelgadis grinned at the thought of what Lina might be doing to Xellos at that moment. (a/n: Zel, SHHH! No more forshadowing for you!) So now they were checking inns again. Gourry was tired of walking around the same old town. He took out his frustrations by irritating Zel with questions he couldn't answer. He had been surprised when he'd discovered that Zelgadis had a wide vocabulary of profanity, and didn't mind using it when provoked, which Gourry did at every opportunity. "Keeps me busy at least!" Gourry thought with a smirk.  
  
Zelgadis and Gourry entered the last inn, and upon finding that Lina still hadn't been there, they each got a room. Gourry was hungry, and it was almost dinner time, so they decided to grab something to eat downstairs. Gourry ordered his usual triple portions and ate with his unabashed gusto while Zelgadis had a regular plate of food.   
  
"I'm afraid that it's time to conclude that Xellos has Lina," Zelgadis said quietly. Gourry lifted an eyebrow in question but continued eating. "Simply because we know Lina. She would have already come after us demanding answers in between Dragon Slaves and Fireballs," continued Zel. Gourry nodded in agreement and took a huge bite out of his chicken. "So, judging from what we know of Xellos, either Lina has killed him or Xellos has killed her," Zel smirked before continuing. "If she's dead, then mission accomplished. But if not, she'll remember and come after us next. Maybe we'll get lucky and she'll come back even when she still hasn't remembered," Zel's smirk was replaced with an evil smile. Gourry's eyes contained a wicked gleam. He had finished eating and polished off his drink.  
  
"Zel, Xellos wouldn't have killed Lina. He's her personal bodyguard, remember? He'd have died first. So I think he's either dead, or we'll have to face him along with Lina," Gourry said calmly. Inside, he was thinking, "Lina has to be alive! I haven't had her yet, and I will have her. After all this time, she's mine by right, damn it! Even if Xellos has her first, I'll be her last!" Gourry's thoughts were drifting again to the feel of her firm curves. Zelgadis brought his attention back to the present with his next words.  
  
"Even if he's on Lina's side, she won't let him touch us. She's pretty loyal to her friends, so if she hasn't remembered, she'll defend us. If she has remembered then she'll want her revenge without any help. So either way, she's going to be coming to us alone."   
  
Gourry smiled at a cute waitress that had caught his eye. She looked similar to Lina, having the same hair color and stature. The main difference was the waitress flaunted her abundance of feminine charms. She seemed to beckon to him, obviously unafraid of sexual activities like Lina was. One thing that had attracted Gourry to Lina was her purity. "But I've waited enough," Gourry thought impatiently. Everyone knew Gourry wanted her, but she didn't seem to know. He was getting a little tired of substitutes. Not tired enough to stop of course...  
  
"So you're saying," Gourry said still following the waitress with his eyes, "we might as well sit back and ...relax." Zelgadis chuckled as he saw what Gourry was staring at so intently.  
  
"Well, just don't use up all your energy on the appetizer when the main meal will be here any minute," Zelgadis said, using language that Gourry was sure to understand. (a/n: ^_^)  
  
Gourry grinned and said, "Well Zel, you know how big my ...appetite is." Zelgadis slapped him on the back and told him to go ahead and eat his fill.  
  
"I don't think she'll be here for awhile yet," Zel said, but Gourry was already gone. Zel looked around the room and saw him whispering into the giggling waitress's ear as he deftly steered her toward the stairs that lead up to their rooms. Zelgadis sighed, cursing his body once more. He certainly missed those pleasure of the flesh. It had been such a long time, it felt like forever to him.   
  
He sighed again and went up to his room to practice sword techniques as his usual routine demanded. When he finally did crawl into bed late that night, he heard a door slam down the hall. As the person passed his door, he heard a young woman's voice saying, "...name isn't Lina you dumbass..." Zel sighed, slightly relieved she was only grumbling about the name. "At least this time he kept his control," thought Zel. When Lina had been recovering, Gourry had been in the habit of bedding more than one woman a night. "Obviously hanging around Lina all day took it's toll on him," Zel thought with a smirk. One night, Gourry had forgotten the last girl was still in his room from earlier that day. He'd brought a second girl in there and was already disrobing himself and the woman when the first had woke up. She'd run crying and humiliated from the room, for not only was Gourry not satisfied with her or wanted her for the rest of the night, but the second girl had been her sister. "What a mess that was," thought Zel.   
  
In the back of his mind he realized Gourry wasn't acting much like himself lately. "Shit, even I'm not acting like myself anymore," Zel shrugged at the thought. He just rolled over and fell asleep.  
  
(A/N: Answers come in time, I swear. So, don't bash me on how they're acting different cause I know what I'm doin! Btw, do ya'll want me to have a chapter that's Limey/Lemony or a dream chapter next? I can do either one, or I could just totally skip the dream chapter really. Tell me what ya want.) 


	12. The Last of the Dreams

Author's Note: Slayer's not mine, no cash 4 story. Okay, the second half of this chapter is Lina dreaming. *points to chapter title* Hint hint... Okay, sit back and enjoy. :)  
  
Xellos stared at Lina's sleeping form. He didn't really remember taking off his boots and climbing into the hammock with her, but he wasn't about to move. "It's my hammock," Xellos thought, "I can use it whenever I want!" He was trying to convince himself that he had a right to be there with her, which wasn't going so well. He knew that when she woke up Lina was going to be severely ticked, so he was trying to come up with a convincing argument.   
  
Xellos's thoughts scattered and he groaned inwardly as Lina cuddled up to him, pressing against parts of his body that hadn't been touched by anyone in a long, long time. His body was on fire, every nerve ending achingly aware of the warm body pressed against him. He braced himself for a whack or a kick, for it was well known that Lina tossed and turned in her sleep, and he was quite vulnerable in his present state. She had moved around alot, much to Xellos's discomfort, but it seemed that she'd had a purpose. Obviously she found the ropes uncomfortable because she had maneuvered herself around until she was on top of him, his body keeping her off the ropes.   
  
Xellos tried to concentrate on anything but the feel of Lina's every curve matched against his, but he failed utterly as she shifted again.She moved her legs to either side of him, straddling his waist. He sighed, knowing he'd brought this pleasant torture on himself. He couldn't decide if he was dying from pleasure or pain as she nuzzled his neck and sighed in her sleep. Her sigh sounded more agitated than contented, making Xellos curious as to what was going on in her mind.  
  
Her brow was furrowed, and she was frowning slightly. Xellos remembered what kind of things she must be dreaming, which melted any reserves he had left. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close, kissing her lightly on the forehead as he used his thumb to smooth the furrow between her eyebrows. Lina relaxed and the furrow remained absent, but the frown remained. Xellos watched her facial reactions while she slept, until he too fell asleep. He dreamed of Lina giving herself to him, her desire written all over her face. Their passion wracked his senses, and the trust shining in her eyes made his heart overflow. He dreamed of telling her what he longed to say, "I love you Lina." He didn't know that he'd whispered the words aloud, but he had.   
(See why Xellos isn't really acting like plain old Xellos?)  
  
-------Switch Person--------  
  
Lina was dreaming again. This time she could see everything clearly, but for some reason she didn't know, the pain was somewhat muted. She could recognize that it hurt, but she didn't really feel it again.   
  
She was hit in the back of the head by Gourry, who then dragged her closer to the water. Zelgadis hoppped out of one of the trees in the woods. Lina remembered feeling hope that he and Gourry were only messing around and that he'd hopped out of the woods because she'd been hurt. That hope had died as Zelgadis went over to her and broke each of her fingers, grinning wider with each sickening crack.  
  
Gourry picked her up and threw her into the hot springs and proceeded to dunk her over and over. Zelgadis stood back laughing, the sound distorted by the water. Lina was in a state of shock, unable to comprehend that her friends were doing this to her. She gasped for air and tried to demand that Gourry stop dunking her. When her demands went unheeded, she switched to pleading. Pride was a small price to pay when air was needed. She was dunked one last time before being picked up out of the water.  
  
"Why are you doing this to me?" Lina asked as she tried to catch her breath. Gourry, protective and faithful old Gourry, was holding her in his arms. He looked down at her and smiled and she felt releif was over her at the sight. Then the smile had changed, it became empty. Lina gasped in outrage as Gourry threw her with all his might straight into a tree. She recognized the pain of the broken ribs and leg, along with the sprained wrist, but the pain was not engulfing her like it did then.   
  
The fleeting glimpse of her attacker focused into Zelgadis coming and holding her unbroken leg as Gourry came to touch and grope. She had closed her eyes against the sight of Gourry's eyes filled with lustand the promise of something sinister, but she couldn't help but hear Zelgadis's laughter at her struggles. Gourry panted in her ears as he held her arms abover head, one large hand encircling both of her wrists. He ground his hips into her own, pressing her against his body. "No! I won't remember that!" Lina's mind took over the dream and skipped to when she was rescued. (A/N: She's still a virgin, in case you wondered)   
  
Gourry had been fumbling, trying to get his pants off one-handed, when Zelgadis was torn away from Lina's leg. Gourry looked up to see what all the commotion was, and stared in shock. Xellos was charging toward him, his eyes promising a long and painful death. Lina groaned at that precise moment, which brought Xellos back to sanity. Xellos picked Gourry up as if he weighed nothing, and threw him to the side, hurrying to get to Lina. He gently picked her up into his arms and said to her, "It'll be alright now," and teleported her to his place. (The rest you know! But guess what....)   
  
At least that was what was supposed to happen at the end. Lina was confused, for in the dream this time, Xellos had said, "I love you Lina..."   
  
(A/N: I don't want you losing interest now you know who did it, b/c I promise there are some more twists just waitin to be written. Next chapter should have some limey L/X in it, sorry I couldn't put that in the summary, but I didn't wanna ruin it at the beginning.) 


	13. Awakening of a new hunger

Author's Note: Don't own Slayers, and no $ for this story. Anyways, sorry this took so long, I been quite busy, and had a case of writer's block to top it all off. But now I'm back to work. This chapter is kinda limey, but not much, I decided that too much lime/lemon would detract from the plot, but I did want to further the romance part of the story. ^_^ Anyways, I hope you agree with me on that.   
  
Lina stretched her arms and burrowed closer to the warmth. Her mind was always foggy in the morning, awarness slowly trickled in. First, she remembered Xellos saying "I love you, Lina" in her dream. "That's strange," Lina thought, "What on Earth made me think that?" Her mind was still muddled so she didn't try to analyze her dream any further, prefering to wait until she was fully awake to tackle mental tasks.  
  
Lina remembered moving around alot last night, trying to get comfortable on the ropes. She was puzzled as to why should couldn't feel them any more. They had been replaced by something warm and solid. Xell's smell was surrounding her, so she assumed his cloak was now the barrier. She inhaled deeply, loving his scent. "If there is ever a smell called 'Mystery,' then this is what it should smell like," Lina thought with a giggle as she remembered Xellos's favorite line, "That's a secret."  
  
Lina was startled awake when she felt the hammock jerk a little. She sat up and yawned, opening her bleary eyes. She blinked a few times to try to see better, and was promptly shocked at what she saw. Xellos was staring up at her with that know it all grin on his face. "At last, you're awake! Sleep well?"  
  
Whatever fury Lina had felt at finding herself in such a position disappeared as the dream came back. She quickly closed her eyes knowing they would reveal her inner turmoil and vulnerability. Xellos cursed softly and wrapped his arms tightly around her. "I'm sorry, Lina."  
  
Lina's anger returned with interest when she heard this. "The only thing you should be sorry for is taking advantage of me in my sleep!" She began struggling fiercely against Xellos's hold. "Let me go, damn you!" Lina's struggling was causing the hammock to sway, threatening to dump them out. She brought up her arms to punch him, but he quickly caught her wrists. "Let me go right this minute or I'll-"   
  
Lina's threat was interrupted as Xellos abruptly sat up and kissed her. Her brain couldn't seem to function beyond processing what was happening. Xellos's lips were gently caressing hers, making Lina's eyes drift closed in pleasure. He grew bold with her small surrender and began to nibble lightly on her lower lip. Lina's mind was running around in circles, first angry, then confused, then excited, then back to angry. When she felt Xellos's tongue gliding across her lips, all thoughts flew from her head. She moaned a little, feeling a new kind of hunger awakening within her. Her lips parted slightly when she moaned, allowing Xellos access to the sweet recess within.  
  
Xellos's tongue began a lazy exploration of her mouth, taking his time and enjoying every second. Their tongues met, tasting and caressing, then fiercly battling for dominance, leaving them both breathless with need. Lina broke the kiss and asked, "What's happening between us Xellos?"   
  
Xellos looked deep into her eyes and was startled to see fear there. He forced his hormones into the back of his mind and realized what she had just relived in her dream. "Slow down, give her time," Xellos chided himself in his mind. "I'm not sure," Xellos said, "but I liked it." He barely stopped himself from kissing her again. "Oh gods, she looks so sexy with that vulnerable look and those swollen lips from my kisses," Xellos forced himself to turn his thoughts elsewhere before he embarrassed himself.   
  
"I don't think I'm ready to do that," Lina whispered, lost in too many emotions to understand what she wanted. Xellos sighed and let go of her wrists, wrapping his arms around her. Lina realized his hold on her wrists had been so slack, she could have gotten away if she'd really wanted to. "Put it out of your mind, and get back to the problems at hand," Lina forced herself to concentrate on what she wanted to do next. "I am ready to go after Gourry and Zel now. I know they did it, but I don't see why." It was hard for her to admit they did it, even after her dream. Her mind continually asked, "Why Gourry, why Zel?!"  
  
"I don't know why they did it, they're the only ones who know that," Xellos paused thoughtfully before continuing. "They're probably going to attack us when we see them. Are you sure you're ready for that? I don't want you to be unprepared," Xellos rubbed her back in small circles. Lina nodded and nuzzled his chest, enjoying the feeling of being safe and protected. "And loved?" Lina forced that thought away.  
  
"I don't really want them dead, I just want to understand why they did that, and why they didn't kill me when they had the chance." Lina paused before stating matter of factly, "And make them pay for it of course." Xellos felt a twinge of pity for Gourry and Zel, Lina was known for her temper and what she would do when riled up.  
  
"Well, I guess there's no time like the present," Xellos said and hugged her close before releasing her. Lina blushed as she realized he was still under her and she was in a most improper position. She carefully got out of the hammock without falling on her face.   
  
"Xellos, could I take a bath first?" Lina asked as she realized she hadn't had a decent bath in quite some time. At Xellos's glance she quickly added, "Alone?"   
  
Xellos chuckled and nodded, teleporting away before Lina could blink. She hoped he was gone to get her something with which to bathe. Lina sighed and wished she had time to wash her clothes too, but just having clean skin would have to do. Just then, Xellos appeared again wearing a wide grin. He had a hand on a large tub filled with steaming water, and had something tucked under his other arm. Lina was surprised he had been so quick, but just smiled back at Xellos. "Thank you, Xellos," She said as he handed her a bar of soap and a towel. Inside she was jumping up and down with happiness about having the luxury of a bath, and the extreme luxury of using what looked like lavendar scented soap.  
  
She pulled the chair over close to the tub and laid it over the back of it. When she looked up, Xellos was gone. She quickly took off her remaining clothes and laid them in the chair. She used her headband to put up her hair thinking to herself, "I'd better hurry or he'll be back, and who knows what would happen then?" She touched a finger to the water, smiling because it was just the right temperature. She stepped into the tub and sat down, sighing in satisfaction. The tub was large enough for her to stretch her legs out fully when she was sitting up. She allowed herself a few moments to just relax and soak away all the tension in her muscles. Then she proceeded to quickly scrub every inch of her body, smiling because the soap was indeed lavendar scented. After she finished that, she stood up and stepped out of the tub. She thought she'd heard a noise, but dismissed it as just the spashing of the water. She used the towel to dry her body and then wrapped it around herself. She leaned over the tub and let her hair down, using the soap to also wash her hair. After that she towel dryed her hair and began to put her clothes back on.   
  
Right as she slid her boots back on, having sat down to do so, Xellos appeared. "Ready, Lina?" Xellos's voice sounded strained. Lina looked up at him and saw a strange look on his face. At her puzzled look, Xellos repeated his question. She nodded, thinking to herself that he was just nervous about the confrontation, and quickly stood up. Xellos put out a hand toward her and she hesitantly took it. Xellos smiled at her reassuringly before teleporting them to where Zel and Gourry were.   
  
In the back of Xellos's mind, he realized that he'd never be able to look at Lina the same way again. Everytime he looked at her, he remembered what she'd looked like stepping out of that tub, the water sliding over her skin, making her glisten everywhere. He hoped his throbbing need didn't show, or he'd have some explaining to do. He promised himself he would take the secret of spying on her bath to his grave, which if she found out he'd been sitting on top of one of the bookshelves the whole time, he knew she wouldn't let him live long. "Ah, it would have been worth it," he thought to himself with a smile. Then he realized where they were.  
  
"This is no time to be thinking about such pleasant thoughts," Xellos thought grimly. He and Lina were in front of the inn where Gourry and Zel were staying. Lina grasped his hand tightly, and he gave her hand a comforting squeeze before they stepped inside.  
  
A/N: w00t! The confrontation is next! ^_^ It'll probably be sometime next week before I get it out, but I'll do my best to get it up as soon as possible. 


	14. The Truth Revealed

Author's Note: I don't own Slayers, and I don't get money for this story. Anyways, I hope you're enjoying this ^_^ I kinda tried to show everyon'es thoughts and feelings, but I purposely left some thoughts and reactions out for smoothness in the story and for other reasons. You'll see, everything comes clear in the end (which is getting closer...this isn't last chapter lol)  
  
Lina let go of Xellos's hand once inside. "I've got to do this alone," she whispered to Xellos. He nodded as he fell into step behind her. "Not that you can't be backing me, I just don't want your help unless I need it." Xellos didn't comment, so Lina assumed he would do as she asked.  
  
Lina walked up to the innkeeper and asked about Zel and Gourry while Xellos looked around. Most of the people weren't up yet it seemed, for the dining room was empty. Lina thanked the innkeeper and batted her eyelashes at him as payment for the information.   
  
"Let's go Xellos," she said as she lead the way up the stairs. "She looks so determined," Xellos thought and again felt a flash of pity for what lay in store for Gourry and Zelgadis. The pity was destroyed when the memory of Gourry and Zelgadis holding Lina down, wanting to take her, came back to mind. The rage Xellos felt threatened to blot out all sanity. At that moment, Lina had reached the top of the stairs and turned around toward him. Whatever she had been about to say died on her lips when she saw his expression. His face was twisted into such an expression of fury that Lina gasped and took a step back.   
  
Xellos immediately snapped out of it and took on an expression of concern. "Lina, are you alright?" Xellos asked quickly. The expression had disappeared so fast that Lina wasn't sure if she'd really seen it or not. She looked at Xellos warily as he reached out a hand toward her, but allowed him to squeeze her hand gently. "I know this is hard on you Lina, but you'll get throught it. You always do." Xellos stood next to her, relaxed and perfectly normal. "Maybe I'm seeing things...even if I wasn't, he wouldn't tell me what he was thinking about anyway." Lina shuddered slightly and tried to shrug it off. She continued on toward Zel's room, not making any comment on Xellos's support.  
  
They reached the door and listened for sounds within. They could hear Zelgadis and Gourry talking, but couldn't decipher the words. Xellos and Lina looked at each other and nodded, making sure they were both ready for any trouble. Lina raised her hand and rapped on the door. Instantly the voices within ceased. Lina called out through the door in a fully hostile voice, "Let's go meet somewhere private, shall we? The hot springs, right now." She knew that some big magics were going to be used in the encounter and preferred not to have an irate innkeeper breathing down her neck. Lina held her breath as she waited for a response. A few seconds later she heard Zelgadis curse and agree to meet them. Xellos quickly grabbed her hand and teleported them to the hot springs.  
  
"They'll have to use Leviation," Xellos said when they arrived, "so we have a few moments before they get here. Are you absolutely sure-"  
  
"Yes, damn it! I'm sure!" Lina yelled impatiently. Xellos let go of her hand and wandered over to the trees. Lina sighed because she'd snapped at Xellos, who'd shown her nothing but support and concern. "Look, Xellos, my nerves are shot, I'm sorry for-"  
  
"It's alright Lina, there's alot on your mind. Do you need me out in the open or can I just sit in the shadows?" Xellos leaned against a tree with his eyes closed, hiding his thoughts and feelings. His words had been crisp, making Lina wonder what was going on with him.  
  
"I'll be fine, I can handle this myself," Lina said relieved that he would still be there without interfering. "I can handle this myself, can't I? I mean, Zel and Gourry won't really want to hurt me now...it was all just a bad dream. Just a bad dream..." Lina forced herself to crush the hope and face facts. Her best friends had just become her worst, and deadliest, enemies.  
  
Xellos teleported himself onto a tree and proceeded to calmly wait to see what would happen. He watched as Lina paced back and forth in front of the hot springs, the steam swirling as she briskly paced back and forth. "The place really is quite beautiful," Xellos contemplated, "It's a shame that such terrible events have to take place here." [A/N: I never did describe this place did I?... ]   
  
Thick forest surrounded all four sides of the clearing around the hot springs. The forest was dense enough to make reaching it on foot almost impossible. The hot springs consisted of two pools, one a little more elevated than the other. The one on higher ground trickled down into the one in the depression, cooling as it went, leaving one pool almost unbearably hot while the other was only pleasantly so. Both pools of water weren't very deep, a person of average height could touch the bottom in both. The grass around the pools was a bright shade of green, obviously flourishing because of the springs. It was quite peaceful, the sun trickled in throught the trees in a few spots, giving the place a nice glow.   
  
Just then, Zelgadis appeared, with Gourry holding on to his leg, and they landed in the middle of the clearing. Lina stopped pacing and looked up, her face totally blank of all emotion. Zelgadis and Gourry looked around warily, obviously suspecting a trap from Xellos. "Don't worry," Lina said in a cold voice, "you're only facing me. This isn't Xellos's fight. But you do have two choices for your actions. One, you can give me information right now, and then we fight. Or two, we can fight, and then when you're begging me for your pathetic life, you'll talk. Either way, I'm going to get what I want. It's your choice." Lina walked over and leaned against a tree.  
  
Zelgadis and Gourry were standing ready for an attack, but relaxed a little at her words. "What do you think, Zel, should we talk first?" Gourry asked with a grim smile.   
  
Zelgadis whispered, "Maybe we can provoke her into being reckless if we talk first." He raised his voice to be heard, "Sure, why not?" Zelgadis and Gourry walked over to stand by the springs. "What do you want to know?"   
  
Lina silently fumed at their apparent ease in the present situation. She wanted them to be quaking with fear. She wanted them on their knees begging for the mercy she'd never give. "All in due time, just be patient," Lina thought, trying to console herself. She knew she had to keep a tight rein on her emotions in order to be alert enough to dodge any attack. "Alright, why are you doing this?"  
  
Zelgadis smiled grimly and replied in a cold voice, "I did it in hopes that you would blame Xellos and kill him. I believe you would have done so if your memory had been a little slower in coming back. We didn't realize the drug's side effect on you would be more sleep." At the flicker of dawning comprehension in Lina's eyes, Zel's smile grew into a sneer. "Yes, we drugged you to hold your memory at bay."  
  
Lina's mask of indifference stayed in place, as her thoughts whirled. "They've had this planned! For how long? How much will they tell before they attack?" Lina decided to ask a question that she'd been puzzling over for quite some time. "Why didn't you kill me in the hospital?"  
  
Zelgadis looked amused at her question. "You still don't know? We gave you the drug to block your memories so we could get you to go after Xellos. By the time we'd decided you were remembering too much, Xellos already had you. We had hoped one of you had killed the other. But I see you are quick to forget who made you into something you've hated and sworn to never join with, a Mazoku." Lina knew logically that he was baiting her, that it was a weakness to get emotions involved. Despite this, she couldn't help but feel anger at what Zel had said. She thought to herself, "At least Xellos had good intentions!" Lina was surprised to discover that the angrier she got, the more power she had. "Ah, the one blessing of being a Mazoku. I can now feed off anger and other negative emotions." Lina made sure to stay angry as she thought about her next question.  
  
"I understand why you would want Xellos dead, Zel. But why did you do this, Gourry?" Lina knew it was dangerous ground for she had had feelings for the blond swordsman for a long time.  
  
Gourry stared at Lina, his eyes roving along her body as he wet his lips unconsciously. "All this time we've been together Lina, I've wanted you. I waited patiently for so long, but there's only so long a man can wait. I couldn't wait any longer. I wanted to be the first and last man to ever have you, whether you were willing or not. Zelgadis came to me with his plan, and I decided I would take the opportunity to have you. Besides, Xellos could have killed you quite easily if Zel's plan had worked. I couldn't pass up what could be my last and only chance to have you before you died." Gourry's hands were twitching slightly and his arousal was obvious.  
  
Something inside Lina died when she heard this. All she felt for Gourry now was pure revulsion. "We could have been beautiful together, we had something special," Lina's mind cried out to Gourry, but she refused to say the words. Lina hardened her heart and turned toward Zelgadis. Before she could utter a word, Zelgadis chose that moment to act.   
  
"Watching Gourry toy with your body was," Zel paused as if relishing the memory, "an unexpected bonus to my plan. Such a pity it got cut short. I was looking forward to more of your screams."  
  
Lina's anger boiled over when she heard this, and she screamed in rage. Still sitting in a tree, witnessing the events, Xellos smiled and slowly opened his eyes to watch. Lina's sanity was gone, she began chanting one of her most powerful spells.  
  
Gourry brought out his sword saying, "Light come forth!" The sword of light appeared and he ran towards Lina. Zelgadis had also drawn his sword, knowing that they couldn't defeat her with magic. They were depending on the sword of light to hurt, if not kill, her.  
  
Lina's eyes opened and she quit her spell. She cast Levitation quickly, leaving Gourry to slash at empty air. Zelgadis quickly followed her into the sky, wondering what he was going to do next. Lina drew her sword, knowing it was useless against Zel's stone skin. Zel flew at her, charging through the air. Lina let him get close before she used a simple yet clever spell. "Lighting!" The ball of light blinded Zel for only a moment, but that was all she needed. She quickly kneed him in the groin and smiled viciously as he began to plummet back towards the ground holding his groin.   
  
Lina began chanting quickly. At that same moment, Gourry was staring intently into the trees, having heard a noise. The noise had been Xellos, standing up before he teleported into the air beside Lina. Zelgadis had caught himself and recast Levitation right before hitting the ground. Everything seemed still as Lina's words rang out. Her spell was cast.  
  
Xellos was smiling shamelessly as he and Lina slowly floated back to the ground. The blast had eradicated everything within a mile on all sides. Lina's face was empty of all emotion as she walked carefully along the charcoaled ground. A few moments later, Lina and Xellos looked up at a noise.   
  
Zelgadis groaned again, his pain evident in his voice. Gourry was a few feet away obviously in better shape, barely. He was trying to crawl over to Zel. He looked over to Xellos and Lina with a pitiful expression on his face. Lina rushed over to Zel, who was making choking sounds that sounded like sobs. "Something's not right here," Lina thought to herself.   
  
Zel began to move his lips, trying to form words. It took a few moments, but he finally managed a few words. "Lina, sorry for...what happened...mind control spell was...too strong to break...don't know who..." Zel closed his eyes and his labored breathing stopped.  
  
Lina's blood ran cold at Zel's words and at the scream that ripped from Gourry's throat. She looked over at Gourry, and saw the truth in his eyes. He hadn't meant to do it. Gourry hurried as fast as he could to Zel's side, and felt his wrist and he began to sob. Zel was dead.  
  
A/N: To be continued! But, I'm wondering if Lina should be able to save Zel or not...*shrugs* We'll see, won't we? =) Hope you liked this long chapter, I think it was worth the wait. 


	15. The End?

Author's Note: This chapter is lemony, but it's not needlessly so. Not enough to raise the rating either I don't think. ^_^ And I'm sorry, but Paul was just a cool name I wanted to throw in here hehe! Indulge me. And let's see, I'm sorry that this chapter took so long in getting out. I really meant to have it out sooner, but oh well. I hope you've enjoyed this story, and thanks to everyone that has reviewed.   
  
"Have a safe trip and travel quickly!" Lina yelled at Gourry's retreating form. He was sitting in a cart on some hay with a very pale looking Zelgadis laying beside him. Lina had brought Zel back to life, but it used up all her healing power. He needed someone who specialized in white magic. The logical choice was to send him to Amelia.   
  
Amelia was Princess of (Seyruun?). Amelia and Lina had been traveling companions at one time, but Amelia had to go back to her royal duties. Lina had asked Gourry to not let Amelia know about her being a Mazoku. Amelia was a strong believer in justice, and right and wrong. When she had learned of Xellos being a Mazoku, she had punished him lightly. If she found out Lina was a Mazoku, who knew what she would do. Lina knew undoubtably that she would be hurt, so she planned to tell her herself later. What was important was to see that Zel recovered. Amelia would love nursing Zel back to health, she'd had a crush on him for quite some time. The only thing stopping them from being a couple was that Zel didn't believe that anyone could love someone with stone skin like he had, let alone a Princess. "Maybe this will be what was needed to get them together," Lina thought hopefully. She was able to forgive Zelgadis for his actions, mainly because she'd killed him, making him suffer like she had. "A little harsh, yes, but it's only fair," was what Lina constantly told herself.  
  
She hadn't been able to be so forgiving with Gourry. Parting had been really awkward for both of them. Lina knew Gourry was going with Zel to give her time and space to search her heart for some forgiveness, but she'd told him that some wounds would never heal. Gourry had nodded and mumbled an apology before he'd hopped into the cart with Zel. Zel had moaned at that moment, so they'd quickly set off, having been reminded of the urgency of the situation.  
  
Lina's heart was heavy as she watched the cart disappear over the hill, then her eyes landed on Xellos. She smiled to herself as she thought, "Oh well, with every ending, there's a new beginning." He felt her eyes on him and he smiled down at her. He stared deeply into her eyes and she wondered if he knew what she'd been thinking. His eyes had darkened with passion at just looking at her. The thought sent tingles of pleasure shooting through her and brought a rosy blush to her cheeks. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but before any words came out, a young man started calling Lina's name.  
  
Lina turned toward the man and studied him as he rushed over. Every aspect of him was unkept, from his straight black hair to his worn looking shoes, but there was something familiar about him to Lina. "It's the eyes," Lina thought."Where did I see those eyes?" She wracked her brain for the answer. His eyes were a unique shade of blue, changing from a dark blue to a dark purple depending on her perspective, and flecks of gold shined near the middle.  
  
"Miss Lina? Hi," the young man said when he reached her. He seemed a little embarrassed and his words tumbled out of his mouth as fast as he could think of them. "It's okay if you don't remember me. I'm just so very glad to see you. Me and my dad were really worried about you. We went to your room to check up on you, but you'd vanished. We thought about asking those two men you were with, but they'd gone too. So, we had no way to find out where you'd gone. And we were very worried that something terrible had happened to you. We looked everywhere in the village for you but couldn't seem to find you. My dad will be so pleased to see that you're okay." The man looked sincerely concerned as he babbled nervously. Lina looked up at Xellos to see if he recognized him, but as usual his face was carefully blank of anything but a smile.  
  
"Uhm, I'm sorry, but could you tell me who you are?" Lina asked as the man took a breath. He blinked and realized she'd asked him a question which he'd obviously not really heard. Lina quickly repeated herself while smiling indulgently. "He'd better get to the point quickly," she thought. She never been a very patient person, and with people that babbled on and on made what little patience she had disappear.  
  
"I'm sorry, my name is Paul. I found you after-," the man paused uncomfortably as he searched for the right words.   
  
"Oh, that's where I've seen you before!" Lina instantly became more friendly and chatted with the young man. They discussed her health and she asked about his dad.  
  
"My dad is the doctor that treated you," Paul paused again as he thought of how to phrase his next statement. "He said that you were dead at one point, but then you were alive. How can that be?"  
  
Lina looked at Xellos for help. He just shrugged and smiled which as usual infuriated her. Paul was still looking at her with a questioning look which brought Lina's attention back to him. "Well," she scratched her head as she paused, "I technically did die, but Xellos here brought me back to life. But I have no heartbeat because of the way he did it."  
  
Paul's face was blank and he obviously didn't understand, but he nodded anyway. Lina sighed. Her patience was worn thin from a stressful day. She really was grateful for the young man, but all she wanted right then was to get away for awhile.  
  
Xellos, sensing her mood, finally entered the conversation. "She'll have to explain that some other time. Right now she needs to rest." Paul nodded again and said goodbye to both of them. All through the conversation he kept looking over at Xellos with an odd expression on his face. He glanced at Xellos one more time before waving and walking off. "Odd," Lina thought to herself, "It's almost like he knew Xellos or something." She shrugged off the thought and turned toward Xellos.  
  
Lina's smile was full of gratitude as Xellos teleported them to his place. They both began to remove their cloaks and boots as Lina thanked Xellos for getting her out of there. "I couldn't find a polite way to tell him to get lost," Lina said as she draped her cloak across the back of the chair. "I mean, I am glad he helped me as best as he could, but I can't help but feeling uncomfortable at being indebted to him. Or you..." Her voice trailed off as their eyes met from across the room. "Xellos, what was the real reason you brought me back as a Mazoku?" Her voice was barely above a whisper, the importance of the question making her usual bold manner become hesitant.  
  
Xellos gestured for her to join him in the hammock. Lina walked over to him, feeling an irresistable pull dragging her. She slowly sat down on the edge of the hammock, her back painfully straight and every muscle tense. Xellos's voice was soft and comforting as he pulled her down toward him. "Lina, relax. I won't bite, unless of course you ask me to." Lina blushed at his suggestion, but couldn't seem to summon up her usual temper. Her blush deepened as her body connected with his. The heat of his body burned her even through the multiple layers of their clothing. Her startled gaze flew to his face as his gloved hand began to caress her cheek. The glove added delicious friction that teased her skin. Xellos stared into her eyes as he set out to try and answer her question.  
  
"I brought you back as a Mazoku because-," he paused and took a deep breath. Something in Lina's heart melted at the vulnerability that shone in his eyes. "I love you Lina. I don't really know when I started loving you, but when I saw you hurting-," he paused again and clenched his teeth. Lina brought a gloved finger to his lips to keep him from bringing back that night at such a tender moment. "I love you too Xellos," she whispered as she dragged her finger across his mouth, tracing his lips. She realized as the words tumbled out that it was true. Somehow Xellos had captured her heart during the whole ordeal.  
  
"Another reason I did it is because it made us connected now Lina," Xellos said, his lips moving under her fingertip. "Things you feel, I can sense, and things I feel, you can sense." Lina's eyes widened in shock at his words. Before any other thoughts could cross her mind, she was distracted as her fingertip was engulfed in Xello's mouth. Lina could feel his mouth around her finger, yet at the same time she could faintly feel what Xellos was feeling. As he brought up a hand to caress the back of her neck, she closed her eyes in pleasure. Not only did she feel his caress, but she could feel how her own skin felt to Xellos. The sensations were overwhelming.  
  
As Xellos explored her body with his fingers, lips, and teeth, Lina could only moan her pleasure. The dual feelings left her quivering with desire. When her turn came to explore, her caresses were bold because she could feel what pleased him. And finally, the time came for Xellos to make her his. Both of their thoughts were filled with love and need, not a single doubt entered their minds. The pain Lina felt was fierce, but she focused on the pleasure Xellos felt. And as he began to move inside of her, all she felt was both of their shared pleasure. Lina cried out Xellos's name at her release with tears trickling down her face. She shuddered again as she felt Xellos's climax from both of their perspectives.   
  
Holding each other close and murmuring words of love, Lina sighed in contentment as Xellos wiped her tears away. He didn't have to ask if they'd been tears of pain or pleasure, he already knew. "Being a Mazoku isn't all bad," she thought with a grin. She knew that Xellos loved her, for she could feel his love bathing her in waves of emotion that swept her away and lulled her to sleep. She felt safe and warm and deeply satisfied as she fell asleep.  
  
After Lina fell asleep, Xellos's gaze roved over her naked form. A sadistic grin came to his lips as he thought to himself, "She's all mine. After all the pains I've taken to have her, she really is worth it. Too bad she'll never know that I was the one who manipulated Gourry and Zelgadis," he sighed at that thought. His face brightened again as another thought came to him. "Maybe someday I'll tell her, many many years from now of course. Ah, something else to look forward to." With that, Xellos closed his eyes, while congratulating himself on eliminating the competition, Gourry and Zel. "Even if someone does come between us, I'll never let her go. If I can't have her, no one will." Xellos fell asleep after that thought, a smile curling his lips.  
  
The End? (should I write another story about how she finds out? or shall I leave it like this? It's up to you) And if there's anything that I left unanswered, then let me know and I'll try to answer all questions by email or put it in the story or something. ^_^ 


End file.
